This month the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) released their 5th annual Reflecting Realities Survey of Ethnic Representation within UK Children’s Literature, which identifies and evaluates representation within picturebooks, fiction and non-fiction for ages 3–11. The newly published report can be viewed here and you can read more about the methodology behind the report here. This year’s report is illustrated by Diane Ewen. The latest summary of findings shows an increase in the number of children’s books published featuring a minority ethnic character from 4% in 2017 to 20 ..read more

Today we are pleased to welcome to our blog the author and illustrator Sophy Henn, whose new book ,Pizazz vs Everyone is out this month. Pizazz vs Everyone is the fifth book in the Pizazz series, which is hilariously narrated by reluctant superhero Pizazz and brims with Sophy Henn’s distinctive illustrations and comic-style strips. Loveable Pizazz, a 9¾-year-old reluctant superhero, is back, and now she’s facing her biggest challenge yet . . . everyone (and everything)! Will it all prove too much? Will Pizazz manage to keep using her powers for good? Or will this push her over the edge to the ..read more

Today we are pleased to welcome to our blog author Iona Rangeley, whose series Einstein the Penguin celebrates the release of its second book this month. Last year, the first Einstein the Penguin book was a huge success and the next book in the series publishes this month. The newest book, Einstein the Penguin: The Case of the Fishy Detective, sees the loveable penguin Einstein return with a new adventure involving a surprise kidnapping and a mystery to solve. Iona started writing Einstein the Penguin while she was studying English at Oxford, stating that writing children's books was more fun ..read more

Book Title: Where Does My Food Come From? (available here) Author: Annabel Karmel Illustrator: Alex Willmore Publisher: Welbeck Publication Date: October 2022 Most Suitable for: EYFS-KS1 A fully illustrated non-fiction picture book that lets readers discover how their favourite foods are grown and made - with exclusive recipes from Annabel Karmel for each one. Images from renowned children's artist Alex Willmore make each food cheekily spring to life on the page, telling the story of its creation to the reader. Find out how eggs, cheese, tomatoes, pasta, strawberries, honey and chocolate are ..read more

Today we are pleased to welcome to our blog author Jasbinder Bilan, who has her first piece of non-fiction work out this month. India, Incredible India, written by Jasbinder and brought to life by artist Nina Chakrabarti, is a joyful celebration of India and its people, places and wildlife. It's beautifully illustrated, and there isn't anything quite like this for young children. The book invites readers to watch elephants bathing from a houseboat in Kerala, marvel at ancient cave paintings in Bhimbetka, wander through Delhi’s bustling streets, and ride a train through the snow-capped peaks of ..read more

Today we are pleased to welcome to our blog author Jasbinder Bilan, who has her first piece of non-fiction work out this month. India, Incredible India, written by Jasbinder and brought to life by artist Nina Chakrabarti, is a joyful celebration of India and its people, places and wildlife. It's beautifully illustrated, and there isn't anything quite like this for young children. The book invites readers to watch elephants bathing from a houseboat in Kerala, marvel at ancient cave paintings in Bhimbetka, wander through Delhi’s bustling streets, and ride a train through the snow-capped peaks of ..read more

Karen McCombie is the author of many books for children and teenagers, with her 100th due to be published in 2023. Many BooksForTopics readers will recognise Karen's titles scattered among our booklists, from Little Bird Flies and Little Bird Lands on the Limb Difference and USA topic booklists respectively, to The Pearl in the Attic on our Books for Fans of Jacqueline Wilson list, to The Lost Diary of Sami Star on our Year 5/6 Reluctant Readers booklist. One of Karen's most recent books is Fagin's Girl, offering an alternative perspective on Oliver Twist and following a girl who disguises her ..read more

Andy Shepherd is the author of the immensely popular The Boy Who Grew Dragons series. Since the first book published in 2018, the series has been a firm favourite among children and teachers alike. The stories follow the funny and heart-warming adventures of Tomas, who finds a dragon-growing tree at the bottom of his grandad's garden. The books have gone down a treat in classrooms, sparking a host of creative projects from imaginative teachers. The newest book in the series is The Ultimate Guide to Growing Dragons - a companion title to the series that sees Tomas and friends attempting to coll ..read more

A World for Me and You is an uplifting picture book about the diversity in our world, perfect for starting conversations with little ones about inclusion, acceptance and kindness. Have you ever heard it said that 'life would be extremely boring if everyone was the same'? Written by the author of Bringing up Race, this book encourages readers to imagine a world where everyone looks identical, where all food tastes the same, where we all speak the same language. A world that is pretty boring. But with an explosion of colour, the pages soon come to life. This joyful book encourages children to im ..read more

13 September 2022 With so many new children's books published each month, often just a handful of key titles claim the spotlight. We've been asking our Review Panel to help us to highlight some of the brilliant books published in recent months that may have passed you by but deserve not to be missed. Every month our panel of reviewers reads a selection of children's books and tells us what they think. Our Review Panel includes teachers, librarians, education consultants, headteachers, teaching assistants and education lecturers, and this week they have been telling us about the children's book ..read more